SC stays Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal's trial for 3 weeks

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed, for three weeks, the trial of Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal for alleged sexual assault on his junior colleague in Goa in 2013.

The Supreme Court on Friday stayed, for three weeks, the trial of Tehelka founder-editor Tarun Tejpal for alleged sexual assault on his junior colleague in Goa in 2013.

A bench, headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu, gave the order after Tejpal’s counsel contended that the Goa court fixed January 23 as the next date of hearing in the alleged rape trial without supplying him “entire records of the case.” The bench directed the trial court to ensure that Tejpal was supplied the relevant documents including unedited footage of the CCTV of the hotel where alleged incident took place.

The SC expressed displeasure that “in last eight months even charges have not been framed”. Tejpal, 50, who is out on bail since May 19, 2014 after being arrested on November 30, 2013, was in February last year charged for allegedly sexually assaulting and raping his female employee within a lift in a five star hotel in south Goa. During the hearing, senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tejpal, said since his client has not been provided with the relevant documents, they could not argue the case.